Agency for International Development, where she supportsPresident Obama’s Feed the Future Initiative, a program thatseeks to address challenges facing the global food supply.

Long term, she hopes to continue working on domestic and
international food security and to demonstrate to others that
you don’t have to be a politician to appreciate the impact of
policy. “I would like to create a space where I disseminate how
policy works to community leaders,” she says.

In the Office of Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.)

Molaison is the Jacquelin Goldman congressional fellow, a
position funded by the American Psychological Foundation
through a bequest by Jacquelin Goldman, PhD, to support
psychologists with backgrounds in child clinical and
developmental psychology.

Molaison received her doctorate in applied developmentalpsychology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Earlier in her career, she worked as a journalist, reporting onpolicymaking bodies, such as the Louisiana state legislature.

As a psychologist, she has worked in pediatric psychology andprivate practice and developed a nonprofit family bereavementcenter in Delaware.

Her professional experiences helped her adapt quickly toCapitol Hill, where she found a culture defined by “constantlychanging priorities, a fast pace, a demand to gather information

and write succinctly, a competitive environment and a unique
lexicon,” she says. Molaison’s background also helped her to
“monitor many moving parts, create coalitions, convincingly
advocate for an idea or point of view and decide how and when
to discuss challenging issues,” she says.

“It was a joy to work for a public servant who is ethical and
transparent, advocates strongly for his constituents, and treats
people with the utmost respect,” Molaison says. In Tester’s
office, she worked on policy related to rural concerns, health
and mental health, illness prevention and women’s health.

She was impressed by how “innovative and bold” the PatientProtection and Affordable Care Act is and yet was discouragedthat “prevention programs and services can be difficult to moveforward because Congress is not allowed to consider potentialsavings when calculating what a new law might cost.”Molaison currently serves as a health advisor in Sen. SherrodBrown’s (D-Ohio) office. “There is still so much for me to learnand contribute,” she says. “I imagine, in the long run, I willcontinue to be an advocate for people, especially those who maynot have the resources or lobbying power to be heard.” ;